The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-22


tourists. But she must do something.
The men had disappeared around
slight bend in the track. Mike ran in,
locked up the office, snatched has from
q nail in the corner, and then hurried up
the track until she arrived at the slight
curve. Then she "made haste more
slowly" for there were the men. Step
ping behind clump of bushes she
watched them. They had stopped and
we're doing something, she could not at
first see what, to the track. Pretty soon
up came rail, and in minute more it
was thrown down steep ledge within
four feet of the track--where the whole
train must be precipitated in less than an
hour if something could not be done to
warn them. Mike cav it all now, and for
a moment stood, her eyes dilated with
horror, while she saw the scoundrels
shake their fists toward her way and
heard an imprecation. Then they passed
on and Mike, growing cold in the sud-
den extremity, turned and sped toward
the depot.
The rail had been removed on curve
which was shaded on the west side by a
high bank, SO that at half paat five it was
quite dusk there, and as the train always
came in on down grade they came at
full speed. So Mike thought to herself,
"Pm SO glad came, for now I'll hurry
and telegraph to Stratford before the
train comes by, and then we'll see, Mr..
Trampa how your little scheme comes
out"
She reached the office and looked at
the clock. Five minutes to five and the
train left Stratford at $50. Well, eight
minutes was more than plenty OF time
if she could "raise" Stratford. She
grasped the key. "Sd-sd. 3d." clicked the
instrument. Never before was there go
impatient an operator on that line. With
her eyes on the clock, which seemed then
if ever, to say "forever--never-ne -
forever" she kept up the call. Some
body on the other side "broke her" twice.
but she gave all the danger signals she
could think of and kept on. The mo-
ments kept on--one, two, three, four, five
slowly pealed the old clock = each
stroke an agony to the girl.
Meanwhile the agent at Stratford
could not operate at all, and the boy who
could, and who served as general chore-
boy about the place had gone for the
COWS, and there was no one to answer the
call on which SO much depended.
A few minutes and it was too late, and
Mike was in new dilemma.
Mike closed the key in despair; she did
not know the train signals. bat seized the
red flag under the old desk and ran for
dear life-iterally the dear lives of her
fellow creatures. Not until she got to
the wrecked place did she remember that
she must go beyond the curve to stop
them or she would be of no use, Al
ready she heard the approaching train
rumble in the distance. Faster, faster
she sped around the curve straight up on
the track. She could see them now com.
ing in. On they rushed, the great engine
bent on destroying its precious freight.
Mike stopped in the midst of the track
and frantically swung her red flag, but
still the monster rushed toward her show
ing no abatement of speed.
Meanwhile the engineer and fireman
had seen the slight form of the girl and the
fireman stood aghast to see the engineer
80 utterly regardless of her.
"Stop man." he shouted, "don't you
see the girl?"
"Yes," said the half-drunk engineer
"Why don't the little fool get out of my
way. I'll teach her." and made no move.
ment to stop.
Mike waited with sinking heart -
0 why did everything go against her?
Was it the will Of God that this dreadful
thing must happen? The engine was
close upon her and she ran up on jutt-
ing rock by the railroad. still waving her
scarlet fiag-but just as the engine came
alongside of her she heard the sharp
click of the call bell in the engine and
saw the fireman push the engineer aside
and reverse the engine. The conductor
who had just seen Der and excitedly pull
ed the bell rope, jumped off and came
toward her. But the reaction was too
much for poor Mike, and she could only
gasp out: "Round the curve" and then
she was a white heap with no sense of
anything.
Passengers rushed out, and, after some
had been to the curve and seen what the
title girl had saved them from, no lady in
the land could be so Loyalty waited upon
as she was when she had been lifted into
the car and modestly told her little story
1t was some little time before the track wa
ready for the train to proceed, and when
Mike got out at her own station, many
Kind hands pressed hers in farewell, and
the conductor left something in her hand
too, just as the train left, saying, lyon
arc tnS DAhNoSt IiteAO WOuidt III tuC Othtc.
Not until she had been in the office
good half hour with her father, who had
got home from his lawsuit and wondered
what made the train late and where
Mike had gone to, and told him all the
story, did Mike think to look at the
packet. Then she read note:
"Will Miss Eunice Markham accept the
accompanying from the friends she so
= 90 1Oooogt